Spain's Justice Ministry plans cut to specialised court staff, risking 30‑year case backlogs

The Madrid Bar Association (ICAM) has warned that the Justice Ministry's decision not to renew reinforcement measures for specialised courts handling abusive‑clause, mortgage and consumer disputes will worsen an existing backlog of more than 40,000 pending cases. With an average processing capacity of about 1,500 cases per year, appeals could be delayed up to 30 years, leaving thousands of citizens without effective judicial protection. The affected procedures include multi‑currency mortgages, floor clauses, mortgage fees and other abusive contract terms, with disputed sums reaching €60,000 per case.

The decision would impact 62 judicial bodies across Spain, as highlighted by the General Council of the Judiciary, which has asked the Ministry to reconsider the cancellation. ICAM deems a justice system that delivers decisions decades late a practical denial of the constitutional right to effective judicial protection. The bar association stresses that the withdrawal of reinforcements will further slow proceedings in both first and second instances, potentially paralysing essential judicial actions.